How to start a business with (almost) no costTõnuDec 31, 2009

Anyone starting a new business discovers on day one that it's way too expensive to run one. All those costs you'll need to bear -- rent an office, staff the team, find a bookkeeper, design a logo, make a website. Or... do you, really?

Well, you don't. It's far more easy. The only thing you are going to need from day one are the customers. The revenue model. Everything else you can be and do by yourself in the beginning.

Rent an office? Build a business you can start from your garage or kitchen instead.

Staff the team? Build a business you understand yourself. Be your own first employee.

Find a bookkeeper? You can at least do most of it with Outright or some other bookkeeping self service which suits your accounting and tax laws.

Design a logo? Better use a simple text logo while getting started. You might buy some abstract stock image to complement it for 10 bucks.

Make a website? That's why Edicy was born. To let everyone make their websites on their own.

Go for professional designers, bookkeepers, fancy offices and Harvard-educated staff members later on when cashflow is established.

Replies to this post

Paul @ Outright.com Dec 31

Thanks for the mention. I'd actually suggest doing both Outright and a bookkeeper. Use Outright.com to track EVERYTHING from expenses to mileage. If you don't track something, you can't deduct it later (or worse, have the records on hand should you need them). When tax season rolls around, you have better things to do that worry; a bookkeeper for tax prep, then, is money well spent.